RugerSociety.com

Lots of good discussions & comments here.

We,, as the "old guys" should always strive to just "do a little more" to get a few younger folks interested.

Just yesterday,, I had a friend,, who had contacted me wanting to bring his kids to my range. I told him "absolutely!" Getting his kids out again with firearms,, (a boy & a girl,) not only exposes them to shooting & all,, it promotes safety AND the most important thing; "Father & kids" time!"

I've known this guy for a bit over 15 years now. He's originally from France. He & his wife moved here,, worked & became US citizens. He's been a LEO for many years now. He fully understands & appreciates our FREEDOM,, and the fact he can enjoy it.
But to see his kids,, well, all I could do was smile.

Just one more little thing to boost interest in our future.

contender wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2026 1:05 pm Just yesterday,, I had a friend,, who had contacted me wanting to bring his kids to my range. I told him "absolutely!" Getting his kids out again with firearms,, (a boy & a girl,) not only exposes them to shooting & all,, it promotes safety AND the most important thing; "Father & kids" time!"

I have an open invitation to all of my friends and co-workers, as well as any of my son's or daughter's friends. If you ever want to go shooting, let me know. I always tailor the outing to what they are looking for.

Want to just get exposed to shooting safely? I've got any sort of .22 you can hope for.
Thinking about getting into hunting (or for one specific friend, transition from bow to rifle)? Let's grab the long guns.
Considering personal defense? From .22 - .45, I've got all the pistols you could want to try.
Looking to just blast some stuff? AR-9, LC45, AR-15, lets GO!!!

As mentioned, the only way we can ensure a love (and respect) of guns and shooting is to be "ambassadors of the sport". Whether it was our father's mother's, friends, or Uncle Sam, someone got us involved. We must do the same.

I should have mentioned that I belong to the JPL Gun Club (yes, that JPL) as a friend's and family member. I shoot rifle and pistol club matches with a bunch of engineers and tecnicians at a local range.

We hold an annual beginners day where anyone can come for an information and safety briefing prior to mentored target shooting with pistols only. The club provides .22, .38 and 9mm ammo so I bring a selection of guns in those calibers and guide newbies through safe loading and shooting procedures. Mostly older adults but there have been a few younger. I enjoy doing that a lot. Maybe there's a way to encourage more young folks that way.

To be honest, though, I would only invite someone that I know well enough to assess their mental state and maturity. Don't want to train a mass shooter if I can help it. I have declined to take some of our friends kids to the range for that reason.

Owen